Monetizing Media

The Misallocation of Capital in Film Production - with Diya Sagar (Lupa Systems)

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Diya Sagar, an investor at Lupa Systems, talks with Monetizing Media's Eric Cohen-Peckham about her thesis that investors are approaching film production companies with misaligned expectations, creating pressure for short-term wins without enough risk tolerance and long enough time horizon to develop massive new IP franchises and a content empire that can challenge the largest incumbents like Disney.

BIZ | State of the Metaverse and comments on the Apple Vision Pro with Eugene Chung

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 13:40:03 +0000

Eugene Chung has been on the investor side of the start-up world at Warburg Pincus and Morgan Stanley before entering the creative world's of Pixar, heading Oculus Story Studios and founding Penrose Studios.
Eugene knows the spatial computing space really well and through this episode he gives thoughts and comments on the current state of the Metaverse with Apple's release of the Vision One headset.

Thank you for joining the show, Eugene. Please listen to our show with Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz from a year ago as addition to this episode.

BIZ | Publishing in a digital era with Hearst UK CEO Katie Vanneck-Smith

Fri, 26 May 2023 12:13:08 +0000

Katie is the CEO of Hearst UK. Overlooking brands such as the Cosmopolitan, the Runner's World and more. Some would call her a veteran in the media industry a title she herself reluctantly use. Her background as co-founder of Tortoise and previous roles at News Corp as CCO of WSJ and C-level roles at The Times and The Telegraph certainly builds to the title of veteran.

Our conversation with Katie covers four topics: i) The magazines industry in a digital era, ii) Business models in the media world, iii) how to successfully market a media venture today and of course - predictions about the news and media world.

Eric was sadly away for this episode but the two of us will be back jointly soon.

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Generative AI vs. IP Law - with Bobby Ghajar (Cooley) and Felix Hilgert (Osborne Clarke)

Thu, 11 May 2023 17:03:24 +0000

Leading intellectual property attorneys Bobby Ghajar (Cooley LLP) and Felix Hilgert (Osborne Clarke) share a lawyer's perspective on the rise of generative AI within the media & entertainment industry. Can AI companies be barred from training their models on copyrighted content? Can content creators copyright and monetize content they create using these tools? How much control do public figures have over reproduction of their voice and image? How do the US and EU differ in their existing laws on these issues and their likely regulatory responses?

(This podcast does not provide legal advice and is intended for informational purposes only.)

// See all past episodes by topic and join our newsletter for media & entertainment executives at MonetizingMedia.com/Podcast

DEALS | Indie Film Financing & Tax Credits - with Zach Tarica (The Forest Road Company)

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:26:57 +0000

Zach Tarica is the Co-Founder & CEO of The Forest Road Company, a leading investment firm specializing in lending to independent film productions. In this episode, he joins Monetizing Media host Eric Cohen-Peckham to explain the types of funding producers need to secure, the role of tax credits offered by different governments, and how his firm evaluates investment opportunities in this space. The conversation focuses in particular on the use of film tax credits as collateral for loans, the process of trading tax credits at a discount to receive cash sooner, and changing trends in the film financing market.

BIZ | The Recruiting Market for Entertainment Executives - with Jonathan Davies (SRI) & Gerard Miles (Mission One)

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 21:51:59 +0000

Which skills are in high demand within entertainment C-Suites and which are falling out of favor? How is executive compensation 💰 changing and how does it vary between different parts of entertainment (music, film, TV, games, etc) and different geographies? Are companies starting to look down on executives working remotely? Monetizing Media's Eric Cohen-Peckham and Edward Lindqvist interrogate executive headhunters Jonathan Davies (SRI) and Gerard Miles (Mission One) to find the answers.

Jonathan Davies is a Partner at SRI, an executive search firm with offices across 7 countries that specializes in helping companies across media, entertainment, and tech recruit new executives. He focuses on searches for US-based companies. Before getting into executive search, he was Managing Director of Commercial & Marketing Partnerships for Eurosport and Chief Commercial Officer of CNN International.

Gerard Miles is a co-founder of Mission One, a new executive search firm focused on the games, entertainment, and technology sectors. He previously spent over 7 years at True Search, becoming a Partner co-leading their gaming and entertainment practice globally from London.

DEALS | Valuing Entertainment IP - with Andrew Kotliar (MEP Capital) & Ivar Combrinck (Salem Partners)

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:49:20 +0000

Andrew Kotliar (Partner at MEP Capital) and Ivar Combrinck (Managing Director at Salem Partners) join hosts Eric Cohen-Peckham and Edward Lindqvist to discuss how investors value what different types of entertainment IP (intellectual property) are worth and what the current market is for different types of IP rights. Think: buying ownership of individual films, songs, books, games, YouTube channels, etc.

Andrew has bought, or provided financing for others to buy, a range of music catalogs, film libraries, and YouTube channels. Ivar has spent his whole career valuing IP and negotiating deals around it, including financing of over $7 billion in films.

// Keep up with future episodes by signing up for the Monetizing Media newsletter at MonetizingMedia.com

CRYPTO x GAMES | Does Web3 Gaming have a future? - with Aaron Bush (Naavik) & Ben Cousens (Zebedee)

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 16:39:18 +0000

Video games involving NFTs and cryptocurrencies were supposed to be the future. In 2021 and 2022, investors poured $3.6 billion and $3.7 billion, respectively, into gaming-related crypto companies. Then...it collapsed. Axie Infinity went from over 1 million "daily active wallets" to just 9,000 in January 2023, and the top 10 web3 gaming tokens lost on average 97% of their value. The hype is gone. So what happened, and what future (if any) does blockchain technology have in the games industry?

Monetizing Media's Eric Cohen-Peckham talks with Ben Cousens (Chief Strategy Officer at Zebedee, a fintech startup for games companies that uses bitcoin's lightning network, and a former games-focused VC) and Aaron Bush (Co-Founder of gaming industry research & advisory firm Naavik, which recently published a report on this top called The Great Reset). Ben and Aaron have a lot of critiques and skepticism but also share excitement about specific opportunities for blockchain tech in games over the next few years.

// Keep up with future episodes and get other resources for media & entertainment businesspeople by joining the newsletter at MonetizingMedia.com

/// Read Naavik's "The Great Reset" report for free at https://naavik.co/deep-dives/the-great-reset-2023

DEALS | Why "Name, Image, and Likeness" contracts are getting more complicated - with Josh Ludmir (Greenberg Traurig)

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:14:50 +0000

Josh Ludmir, a partner at law firm Greenberg Traurig who specializes in contracts between media companies and talent, talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Cohen-Peckham about how one of the most common contracts in the industry is evolving. >> The Personal Appearance Release gives a media company or advertiser permission to use the name, image, and likeness of a person. It has long been standard and one-sided in favor of the companies. Social media, NFTs, generative AI tools, and "cancel culture" targeting both companies and individuals has made it more complicated and negotiable, however. // Join the newsletter and find other resources for media & entertainment executives at MonetizingMedia.com

Is Podcasting Dead? A down market, expected M&A, and the evolution of the podcast biz - with Chris Peterson

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 15:53:45 +0000

Chris Peterson (CEO of Modish Media, former president of Kindred Media at LionTree, and former EVP Podcasting at iHeart) discusses the state of the podcast industry with investors Eric Cohen-Peckham and Edward Lindqvist. // See more resources for media & entertainment businesspeople and join the newsletter at MonetizingMedia.com // Cross-posted with the V66 Podcast.

AI x Media | Chat GPT and AI's grand arrival in media & entertainment

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 22:52:56 +0000

Lux Capital's Danny Crichton joins media investors Edward Lindqvist and Eric Cohen-Peckham to discuss their first impressions of OpenAI's Chat GPT and the shock it is creating across the industry as creatives and businesspeople realize their jobs are about to change (or disappear). Just how good is generative AI right now and what is a realistic timeline for further improvements? Which types of jobs will be automated first? What new business opportunities does this create for content creators? Recorded on 13 December 2022. // Find more resources for media & entertainment businesspeople and join the newsletter at MonetizingMedia.com

BIZ | Policy Magazines - with Stephanie Solomon (Foreign Affairs) & Danny Crichton (Lux Capital)

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:37:25 +0000

Stephanie Solomon (CRO of Foreign Affairs) and Danny Crichton (Head of Editorial at Lux Capital & former managing editor of TechCrunch) talk to Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about the strategy and business models of long-form political/policy magazines where top government officials, CEOs, and policy experts debate how to tackle the world's many challenges. // Keep up with other episodes and find resources for media & entertainment businesspeople at MonetizingMedia.com

BIZ | Axios' audience funnel - with Neal Rothschild (Axios)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:35:05 +0000

Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham interviews Neal Rothschild, Director of Audience & Growth at Axios, about Axios' audience development funnel. That is, its tactics for bringing readers to their site, converting them into newsletter subscribers, retaining them as engaged newsletter readers, and converting some of them to a new portfolio of paid ($599/yr) newsletters covering deals in different industries. // Check out other episodes and find other resources for businesspeople in media & entertainment at MonetizingMedia.com

DEALS | Music Dealmaking - with Cliff Fluet (Lewis Silkin)

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 20:33:48 +0000

Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham is joined by Lewis Silkin partner Cliff Fluet, a leading music industry attorney, to break down which segments of the music industry are hot (or not) with dealmaking right now and why. Covering the gold rush to buy music catalogs, live music's navigation through the pandemic, consolidation opportunities among indie labels and talent management firms, the expanded licensing deals with tech platforms, and the rise (and challenges) of crypto platforms. // Keep up with all episodes and get other resources for media & entertainment businesspeople at MonetizingMedia.com

BIZ | Soundcloud's creator services expansion - with Jeff Ponchick (Soundcloud)

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Soundcloud VP of Creator Jeff Ponchick talks with Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham about the music company's strategy to provide a tiered offering of services to indie musicians while leveraging their consumer-facing streaming platform for data to inform A&R and marketing. Soundcloud now competes with cross-platform music distributors and label services firms to identify and promote breakout artists. // Keep up with episodes and get other resources for media & entertainment businesspeople at MonetizingMedia.com

DEALS | Game industry mega deals - with Joost van Dreunen (New Breukelen) & Mike Sepso (Vindex)

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

DEALS | Joost van Dreunen (investor / advisor / Superdata founder) and Mike Sepso (Vindex CEO / fmr Activision SVP) analyze the Take Two/Zynga, Microsoft/Activision, and Sony/Bungie acquisitions Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham. Why did they make sense, why did they happen now, and how do they reshape the industry? Also, has gaming bifurcated into synergy-focused giants who are happy to outsource innovation to startups and just buy them when successful? / Keep up with new episodes and get other resources on the media & entertainment business at MonetizingMedia.com

DEALS | State of the Creator Economy - with Eze Vidra (Remagine)

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 01:09:22 +0000

Eze Vidra, co-founder of seed stage VC firm Remagine Ventures, and Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham discuss trends and challenges in the "creator economy" as investors and entrepreneurs have flooded into the market. From the increased priority among many creators to own their own audience and be less beholden to major platforms like YouTube to creators' use of NFTs, social tokens, and AI tools, this covers a wide range of important topics. Eze also explains his specific Israel-focused strategy. // Keep up with new episodes and access extra resources for media & entertainment professionals at MonetizingMedia.com

XR | Bringing 3D experiences to the cloud - with Alon Grinshpoon (echo3D)

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:04:43 +0000

echo3D Co-Founder & CEO Alon Grinshpoon talks to Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about how his company is enabling developers to create and deploy AR/VR and other 3D apps/games on the cloud so they don’t have to be downloaded to be used, can be updated in real-time, and can work with high-performance across a wider range of devices. // Keep up with Monetizing Media episodes and get other resources for media & entertainment businesspeople at MonetizingMedia.com

DEALS | India's gaming startup boom - with Salone Sehgal (Lumikai Fund)

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

In 2019, Salone Sehgal left London Venture Partners to launch a new VC firm focused on seed stage gaming startups in India. She talks to Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about why India's gaming ecosystem offers big opportunity, why Indians are spending a lot more on In-App Purchases than in the past, the game mechanics that are most popular among different segments of the market, and how politics has impacted domestic entrepreneurs' ability to build the next big gaming company.

Exploring New Frontiers in Audience Development - with Boye Fajinmi (Future Party)

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 19:00:00 +0000

Monetizing Media’s Eric Peckham discusses the frontiers of where media brands are attracting and engaging a community around their content with Boye Fajinmi. Boye is a co-founder & president of The Future Party, an LA-based media and events brand targeting professionals in entertainment, tech, marketing, and other creative fields that invested early in creating content on Clubhouse and attracted a 15,000-person following. He has experimented with Discord, Community, and other tools to determine new expansions to the brand’s content creation and events businesses. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

An OS for Creator Businesses - with Jason Bade & Rodolphe Ködderitzsch (Pico)

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 00:45:20 +0000

Pico's President Jason Bade and Chief Revenue Officer Rodolphe Ködderitzsch talk to Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham about the current boom in creator monetization tools and their work to make Pico the central CRM, analytics, and monetization solution for creators to manage their fan relationships and independent business. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

The World of Webcomics - with Michele Wells (Tapas)

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 01:11:14 +0000

Eric Peckham dives into the rapidly growing webcomics industry with Michele Wells, the former editor-in-chief of DC Comics who recently joined leading webcomics platform Tapas Media as Chief Content Officer. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Frontiers in Educational Content - with Andrew Sugerman (Sketchy)

Thu, 06 May 2021 17:53:48 +0000

Andrew Sugerman, President of Sketchy, talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about the intersection of education, entertainment, & gaming. Sketchy takes the learning technique of memory palaces as the basis of entertaining, interactive video courses for medical students. Backed by $30M from TCG Capital, they’re now rapidly expanding to new content verticals. Andrew previously led Disney’s English-language learning content efforts in China and later oversaw all Disney content across mobile apps, digital video, books, comics, and magazines. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Deeper Engagement & Better Monetization of Super Fans - with Jeff Kohn (TopFan)

Thu, 06 May 2021 17:53:10 +0000

TopFan CEO Jeff Kohn and Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham discuss strategies for entertainers and entertainment franchises to own their audience, better engage super fans, and increase lifetime value (LTV) of super fans. TopFan is a platform for musicians, sports teams, movie studios, and others who have large fan bases to create online community portals with paid memberships, exclusive e-commerce, virtual events, and other special benefits. The white-label solution acts as a fan CRM and monetization tool for over 100 partners like musicians Pitbull, the Lumineers, Maroon 5, and the Zach Brown Band, sports franchises like the Denver Broncos (NFL team), and Hollywood studios like Lionsgate, MGM, WB, and Fox. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Building an Iconic Brand in Tabletop Games - with Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens)

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:02:24 +0000

Exploding Kittens co-founder & CEO Elan Lee talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about the $13 billion (and growing!) tabletop games market and his company's expansion strategy within it. Elan was a longtime video game executive who rose to become the Chief Design Officer at Xbox before leaving in late 2014 and launching Exploding Kittens as a new card game on Kickstarter. It not only had one of the most successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns ever but became one of the most popular tabletop games in the industry. The Exploding Kittens brand has launched several new games since (surpassing 16 million units sold) and also launched mobile games tied to the Exploding Kittens IP. It's adding new IP from both in-house development and operating as a publisher, and working to bring this IP into film & TV. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Interactive Shows for Kids - with James Ruben (Hellosaurus)

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000

James Ruben, the founder & CEO of Hellosaurus, discusses the children's 'edutainment' landscape and his company's platform of interactive videos with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham. Previously the Head of Product at HQ Trivia, James launched Hellosaurus last year as a subscription video service for children ages 2-8, partnering with top YouTube creators to produce shows that prompt young viewers to complete tasks within the app.

// Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Enabling the Next Wave of Social Games - with Ryan Horrigan (Artie)

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Artie founder & CEO Ryan Horrigan talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about his company's platform for creating multiplayer games that can be shared and played with just a link on social media, without having to download an app. By bypassing the app stores and platform-specific restrictions and enabling games developed in Unity instead of HTML5, Artie can unlock a new wave of gaming with friends on social media. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Selling Digital Fashion for Avatars - with Adriana Hoppenbrouwer (The Fabricant)

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:19:36 +0000

The fashion industry is moving into the virtual world, with a growing economy of digital clothing to be bought and worn by our avatars on social platforms, in games, in VR, and more. Adriana Hoppenbrouwer is at the forefront of this as a Co-Founder & Commercial Director at The Fabricant, an Amsterdam-based digital fashion house. The Fabricant sells digital-only clothing designed both in-house and in partnership with brands like Adidas, Off White, Rag & Bone and more. She speaks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about what it means to own and wear digital clothing, the 4 different segments of customers, partnerships with gaming companies, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Building an Audio-First Romantic Comedy Empire - with Naomi Shah (Meet Cute)

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 21:30:10 +0000

Meet Cute founder & CEO Naomi Shah talks with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham about building an audio-first scripted entertainment startup. Meet Cute is building a dedicated following around 15-minute romantic comedy podcasts. Since December 2019 they have released over 200 shows. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

The Business of Building Games on Roblox - with Joe Ferencz (Gamefam)

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham discusses the business of Roblox game development with Joe Ferencz, the CEO of Gamefam. Gamefam is a leading game studio and the first dedicated game publishing company on Roblox.

// Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Virtual Production is Changing Hollywood - with Miles Perkins (Unreal Engine)

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 18:58:59 +0000

Miles Perkins of Epic Games' Unreal Engine talks the use of game engines for virtual production in the film & TV industry with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham. Virtual production is the frontier of Hollywood visual effects, reshaping the production process and letting creatives explore ideas for how to shoot a scene with real-time changes to a virtual environment.

// Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com

Growing a newsletter business on Substack - with Polina Marinova Pompliano (The Profile)

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 19:00:00 +0000

Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham discusses the trend of one-person newsletter businesses with Polina Marinova Pompliano. A former journalist at Fortune Magazine, Polina is part of a recent wave of content creators to launch their own freemium subscription newsletters using the Substack platform. She shares her steps in growing The Profile, the software tools she uses, her audience development tactics, and her assessment of why the trend of leading journalists going solo will continue. // Join the Monetizing Media newsletter and find more resources at MonetizingMedia.com // Subscribe to The Profile at theprofile.substack.com

Content Financing for Creatives - with Andrew Kotliar (MEP Capital)

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:00:38 +0000

Andrew Kotliar of MEP Capital discusses debt and equity financing for films, music catalogs, podcasts, live events, and more with Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham. Key points of conversation: case studies on past deals, deal structures to reduce risk, the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on financing films and live events, and supporting the growing wave of creators determined to keep (or regain) ownership of their IP.

To keep up with future episodes and learn more tactical insights on the business of media, entertainment, & gaming, subscribe to the Monetizing Media newsletter at MonetizingMedia.com

Subscription News in the Pandemic - with James Savage (CEO of The Local)

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 17:12:41 +0000

This episode features a case study on The Local, a collection of English-language news sites in Europe that saw paying subscribers surge from 11,000 to 26,000 during the first 4 months of the Covid-19 pandemic. James Savage (CEO of The Local) walks Monetizing Media host Eric Peckham through The Local's bundling and pricing strategy, conversion funnel optimization with newsletters and a native app, and response to Covid-19.

Finding a Business Model for Free Photos - with Mikael Cho (CEO of Unsplash)

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Unsplash co-founder & CEO Mikael Cho talks with Monetizing Media’s Eric Peckham about how his startup explored business models for their massively popular platform for free stock photography. // Sign up for the Monetizing Media newsletter at monetizingmedia.com

The Verticalization of Social Media - with Pippa Lamb (Sweet Capital)

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Sweet Capital partner Pippa Lamb sees a realignment in social media from general purpose social apps to niche social apps dedicated to users who share a specific interest or demographic. She talks to Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham about why this is happening and how she is analyzing new social media startups as an investor.

Audio as Media's Frontier - with Arlen Marmel (TCG Capital)

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham talks with Arlen Marmel, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at TCG Capital, about burgeoning startup opportunities in the social audio space.

Bringing AI-Generated Humans to Hollywood - with Lisha Li (CEO of Rosebud)

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Rosebud co-founder & CEO Lisha Li talks with Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham about how Rosebud AI-generated photos and videos of real-looking humans with impact the entertainment industry. // // Sign up for the Monetizing Media newsletter at monetizingmedia.com

Documentaries are making big money - with Bryn Mooser (CEO of XTR)

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 16:01:59 +0000

XTR founder and CEO Bryn Mooser talks to Monetizing Media's Eric Peckham about how documentaries have rapidly become a lucrative business due to their massive popularity on Netflix and other streaming services. He breaks down his company's strategy for financing non-fiction content and what to expect in the space over the next couple years.

Monetizing Media - Preview

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 03:05:34 +0000

The Monetizing Media podcast dives into the business of media, entertainment, & gaming through conversations with leading entrepreneurs, executives, and investors in the industry. Subscribe to this podcast to hear upcoming episodes with guests like Unsplash CEO Mikael Cho, XTR founder Bryn Mooser, Sweet Capital partner Pippa Lamb, and more. Hosted by Eric Peckham, writer of the Monetizing Media newsletter.